Giant Panda Fact Sheet

The giant panda is a member ofthe Ursidae family (that's a fancyword for bears). They live in themountains of China. They usedto live in the lowlands but humancauses have forced them tomove higher. Unlike most bears,pandas do not hibernate; theysimply move to warmer places.

Pandas absolutely love toeat bamboo, so much so that itmakes up around 99% of theirdiet. Pandas eat around 20 to 30 pounds of bamboo shoots a day!Pandas actually have thumb that they use to help them eat bamboo.The thumb is called a sesamoid bone. Pandas also have super roundfaces because their jaw muscles are so big from eating all thatbamboo.

Adult pandas can grow to about 330 pounds but their babies areonly 100-200 grams. When panda cubs are born they are pink, blindand have no hair. Pandas tails are 4-6 inches long, the second longestof any bear.

Word Search

Courtesy of mantomalac via sxc.hu.

ACROSS2 They have the second largest ____ of any

bear. 4 Pandas faces are _____ because of large jaw

muscles. 6 Unlike other bears, pandas do not do this in

the winter. 8 They live in this country. 9 Their thumbs are called _________ bones. DOWN1 They mostly eat this plant. 3 Pandas used to live in this habitat. 5 They are part of this animal family. 7 Baby pandas are this color when they are

born. 8 A baby panda is called a ___.